Getting to know the Red Wings’ prospect tournament roster

The Detroit Red Wings’ 2023 Prospect Tournament gets underway this Thursday as the Red Wings’ prospects will battle the Dallas Stars at Centre ICE Arena.

Detroit’s prospects will play in 3 games over the course of 4 days, battling Dallas, Columbus and Toronto, and the prospect tournament is an excellent warm-up for the break-neck pace of instruction and pace of play at the Red Wings’ main training camp.

Here’s a “Getting to Know You” summary of the Red Wings’ prospects, free agent invites and one Grand Rapids Griffins player participating in this year’s tournament:

FORWARDS:

#28 Riley Sawchuk**: Sawchuk’s the oldest prospect on the Red Wings’ roster at 24 years of age, and the 5’11,” 181-pound center has already played in 23 games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, with whom he’s earned an AHL contract. Like so many of the Wings’ “elder statesmen” at the prospect tournament, he’s being brought in to provide leadership and steady things when the game goes south. Speedy and a bit scrappy, he may end up playing a top-six role because of his maturity.

#29 Nate Danielson: The Red Wings’ 9th overall pick in this past summer’s 2023 NHL Draft, Danielson is a lanky right-shooting center who’s still growing into his 6’2,” 187-pound frame. He’s already served as the captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings at 18, and he’ll turn 19 later this month. He’s already posted two point-per-game seasons at the WHL level, and he’s a talented two-way forward who’s earned comparisons to former Vancouver Canuck Ryan Kesler in terms of his responsible two-way game and bit of a snarl. He’s a superb skater, good at faceoffs, he possesses a strong shot, good passing skills, and he’s going to continue to get bigger and stronger in the WHL.

#32 Carter Mazur: Mazur and Marco Kasper might be the prospects who are closest to earning NHL jobs on the Red Wings’ roster. At 20 years of age, Mazur’s a lanky 6 feet tall and 170 pounds, and the wiry forward needs to put some more muscle on his frame…But he’s a strong net-front presence both on the power play and at even strength, he knows how to sneak into the “dead areas” on the ice to provide scoring chances, and he’s got a mean streak a mile wide. He’s turning pro after spending two seasons with the University of Denver Pioneers.

#56 Matyas Melovsky*: Melovsky, a free agent try-out, didn’t take part in the summer development camp, but the 6’1,” 190-pound center most likely earned a nod thanks to former Sherbrooke Phoenix coach Stephane Julien, who’s stepping behind the Griffins’ bench as an assistant coach. Melovsky posted 52 assists in 59 games with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar this past season, so there’s no doubt that he’s an elite passer, and we’ll have to wait and see whether there’s more to his game than excellent set-up skills.

#58 Dean Loukus*: Loukus took part in the summer development camp, and the 5’10,” 181-pound left wing has posted a pair of 50+-point seasons with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. He’s from Calumet, Michigan, and the 20-year-old left wing is a hard worker with pluck to spare.

#63 Alexandre Doucet: The Red Wings signed the 6,’ 187-pound center and wing from the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads after a season in which Doucet scored 58 goals and posted 115 points. During the summer development camp, the 21-year-old looked like a pure sniper who might have some adjusting to do as he turns pro with the Grand Rapids Griffins this fall, but there’s no denying his offensive potential.

#64 Emmitt Finnie: The Red Wings drafted the 6,’ 170-pound Finnie 201st overall this past summer, so he’s a bit of a long shot prospect. He was speedy and somewhat skilled during the summer development camp, but Finnie looked like a player who was still growing into his body and finding his comfort zone.

#74 Cross Hanas: Hanas is going into his second year as a professional hockey player with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, and he’s coming off of shoulder surgery. That being said, the 6’1,” 181-pound winger was an elite assist man in the WHL, and he posted 17 points in 30 games with the Griffins this past season, all whlie nursing that shoulder issue. Fleet of foot and offensively inclined, Hanas is no slam dunk, but he could be a particularly potent offensive forward down the line.

#78 Amadeus Lombardi: At an EliteProspects-listed 5’10” and 165 pounds, Lombardi has proved those who doubt his size wrong, repeatedly. He’s coming off a 47-goal, 102-point season with the Flint Firebirds, and the 20-year-old is fast, offensively talented and downright plucky in terms of his ability to excel in traffic and one-on-one battles for the puck. When the going gets clutchy and grabby, Lombardi battles through and makes elite plays. He’s going to have an adjustment period as he turns pro on a full-time basis, but it’s hard to bet against him.

#82 Israel Mianscum*: Mianscum played for Julien’s Sherbrooke Phoenix in the QMJHL, posting 61 points in 65 games as a 20-year-old center. The 6’1,” 198-pound forward was one of the better try-outs during the summer development camp, and he’s got a unique background as both Cree and Jewish. He’s a hard worker.

#83 Nic Sima*: Another free agent try-out, the 18-year-old Saginaw Spirit right wing stands at 6’2″ and 185 pounds, and he posted only 16 points during the 2022-2023 season, split between North Bay and Saginaw, but he’s purported to be a strong two-way player.

#85 Elmer Soderblom: The massive 6’8,” 247-pound Soderblom played in 21 games for the Red Wings last season, posting 8 points, and in 20 more games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, posting 8 points. To some extent, he’s still adjusting to having such a big body on small North American ice, and he’s a work in progress in terms of his coordination, pace and simplicity of play, but he possesses a good shot, he’s a strong passer and he skates very well for a man of his size. He’s got a slight edge to him, and he’ll play net-front on the power play, but I don’t think that the 22-year-old is destined to become a physical force. Yet.

#86 Jake Uberti*: Uberti, another free agent try-out, will be heading to Canadian University to play for St. Mary’s University this upcoming season. A 6’1,” 207-pound forward, he didn’t post a ton of points while skating in the OHL, but I recall his status as a heavier player during the summer development camp.

#92 Marco Kasper: Perhaps the Wings’ most well-rounded prospect, the 19-year-old Kasper’s father was a professional hockey player, and the 6’1,” 192-pound native of Klagenfurt, Austria displays poise and aplomb despite his relative age and inexperience, mostly thanks to two seasons spent in the SHL with Rogle BK. He skates well, passes well, shoots well, checks well, and he’s got a snarl to him, as well as the kind of professional pedigree that bodes well for his long-term NHL potential.

DEFENSEMEN:

#26 Andrew Gibson: The Red Wings drafted the 6’3,” 203-pound right-shooting defenseman from LaSalle, Ontario because he plays a big man’s game. Known for possessing something of a mean streak, he posted 21 points in 45 rookie-season OHL games with the Soo Greyhounds, and he was picked 42nd overall in this past summer’s NHL Draft. I’m looking forward to seeing him play against his peers.

#38 Antti Tuomisto: I’m honestly surprised that Tuomisto was able to sneak into the prospect tournament. Coming off a pro season with TPS Turku of the Finnish Liiga, the 22-year-old stands at 6’5″ and 205 pounds, and the right-shooting defenseman possesses a blend of offensive skills and heavy-man’s physicality.

#54 William Wallinder: After two Allsvenskan and two SHL seasons’ worth of play, the 21-year-old Wallinder is coming over to North America with a fine pedigree. At 6’4″ an 190 pounds, Wallinder is already known as a strong two-way defenseman who’s played against men for parts of four seasons now, and his 26 points in 50 games earned him the European Hockey Clubs’ Young Player of the Year award. He skates well, shoots well, passes well, checks well, blocks shots well…He’s a superb all-round defenseman.

#61 Connor Punnett*: The 6’2,” 198-pound free agent invite took part in the Wings’ summer development camp, and the 20-year-old Barrie Colts defenseman posted both 48 points and 109 penalty minutes in 66 games this past season. He’s going to be utilized as a physical presence, and in a prospect tournament refereed by particularly tolerant ECHL officials, you need somebody to “keep the flies off” your players.

#70 Finn Harding*: Another free agent invite, Harding was passed over in his first year of draft eligibility due to a so-so rookie season with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads. He stands at 6’1″ and 183 pounds, he shoots right, and he’s a summer development camp alumnus.

#79 Jackson DeSouza*: DeSouza was one of the better skaters at the Red Wings’ summer development camp, so the Kelowna Rockets defenseman was brought back for the prospect tournament. He’s a big man at 6’4″ and 187 pounds, and the 20-year-old hasn’t posted a ton of points in the WHL thus far, but he’s got a good skill set and skates well for a tall, lanky defenseman.

#95 Tnias Mathurin: Big and heavy at 6’3″ and 201 pounds, the 19-year-old defenseman missed all but one game of this past season due to assorted injuries, but he played very well for the OHL’s North Bay Battalion during their 11-game playoff run. He projects to be a bottom-pair defenseman, but a hard-charging, reliable performer at that.

GOALTENDERS:

#33 Sebastian Cossa: If Sebastian Cossa is truly the Red Wings’ goalie of the future, he’s got to keep progressing this season, when he’ll make the jump from the ECHL to the AHL. Only 20 going on 21 this November, the 6’6,” 209-pound goalie possesses tremendous size, a strong glove, good blocker, a sound butterfly with quick toes and meaningfully booted-out rebounds, an upright stance and a bulldog mentality when he gets turned around or has to battle for a loose puck…But there are still minor holes in his technique, ever-so-slight inconsistencies that bump up his number of goals surrendered…Even though he went 26-16-and-1 in the regular season with Toledo, and 5-and-2 during a playoff run which he split with John Lethemon, there are questions as to whether he can pull it all together and become a solid professional goaltender. Confident and poised, Cossa hopes to answer those questions in the affirmative.

#60 Jan Bednar: Bednar is in Cossa’s skates from last season, to some extent. He had an injury-marred 2022-2023 season, playing only 10 games in the QMJHL and 3 for the Toledo Walleye. At 21, the 6’4,” 201-pound goaltender has tamed some of his spectacular inconsistencies, and he’s slated to split the net with Lethemon in Toledo this year. He’s a goaltender who can make remarkable saves and give up easy goals, so he’s refined his butterfly to play a narrower, more compact style, and he does have long arms and legs, so he’s got a wingspan to him. If all goes well, he’ll get a game in during the prospect tournament.

#68 Lukas Matecha*: Matecha turned 18 in March, and the 6’3,” 187-pound goaltender played in 34 games in the Czech Under-20 league, posting a 14-and-18 record, with a 2.54 GAA and .918 save percentage. He’s committed to play for the WHL’s Tri-City Americans this upcoming season, and as the 3rd goaltender, this free agent invite will have to maximize his time spent with goaltending coaches Phil Osaer and Roope Koistinen. Ideally, he shows well during training camp and perhaps opens a few eyes so that he’s not passed over in his second year of draft eligibility.

*=Try-out **=Grand Rapids Griffins contract

As you know, I’m attempting to recoup the expenses we’ve paid to get up to Traverse City, so if you’re willing to lend a hand, especially in the PayPal or Venmo accounts, we’ve got the rental car to pack today, the trip to Traverse City tomorrow, and about $100 to get us there.

If you can lend a hand with our overall expenses, we have an old-fashioned GoFundMe here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-george-annie-attend-prospect-tournament, you can use PayPal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport, Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2, Giftly by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com. And you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check. I’m also on Cash App under “georgeums.”

Thanks for your time, readership and support.